Mute for stringed instruments



Oct. 6, 1931. MIRANDA MUTE FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS File l Dec. 50. 19294 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 6, 1931. F. MIRANDA MUTE FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTSFiled Dec. 30. 1929 4 Sheets-Shoot 2 Oct. 6, 1931.

F. Q. MIRANDA MUTE FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Filed Dec. :50. i929 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 6, 1931. F. Q. MIRANDA MUTE FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTSFiled Dec. 30, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Oct. 6, 1931 PATENTOFFICE,

FRANCISCO QUINTANA MIRANDA, OF ,CORDOBA, ARGENTINA MUTE r03 srnmennmsranmnn'rs Application filed llecember pl929, Serial No 7 My inventionrelatestoa damper or blendor for stringed instruments which enables theperformers on musical instruments, such as'the fiddle, violin, viola,Violoncello and basso, to deaden or augment the sound of the instrumentwhile they are playing, without any interruption in the execution. The

damper or blender, when applied, gradually permits the blending of somephrases or musical passages, and it suddenly applied contrary musicaleffects are obtained. It is likewise an original recourse for musicalcomposers, since these have greater facility for expressing, withcombinations of new sounds, their delicate, expressive, sentimental,etc. inspirations. I

In order that the inventionmay be better understood, it is illustratedby various figures in the accompanying drawings Figure 1 showsafragmentary perspective view of a damper coupling constructedinaccordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the coupling, showing the same ina'diflerent position from that in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar View, the position of the coupling being fm'ther,changed.

'Fi g. i is a perspective view of one section of the damper. i p

F ig. 5 is a similar view of another section.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the damper element.

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the same in another position.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of coupling sections and damper elementassembled for application to a violin.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a modified form of damper for use withVioloncello, the damper section being fragmentarily disclosed in dottedlines.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a coupling member used therewith.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detail of the lug for the coupling member inFig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the foot actuator for the damper shownin Fig. 9.

Fig. 13 is a perspective View of a violin showing the damper illustratedin Flg. 8 applied thereto.

. 417,502, and in Argentina November 28, 1929.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a violoncello with the damperillustrated in Fig. 9 applied thereto and also the foot actuator.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 8 and 13, the apparatus is composed of themembers A, B, C and D a coupling A is attached to the instrument bymeans of the string N which is stretched from the string-bar to thebutton on the body of the violin, which string is passed over and aboutthe grooves a in them, cross piece 0 in Figs. 1 to 3. This coupling hasat its upper portion a flattened sleeve 0, in which is inserted a flatcurved spring of steel c (Fig. 4). The lower portion d, which rests onthe instrument, has fastened to it a small piece of cloth, skin, cork,etc. A metal bar I), in its small end, has partly attached taereto bymeansof solder, small screws or rivets'etc. the steel spring 6 which iscurved and fitted in the flattened sleeve 0, before described; At theother end ofthe said bar I) there is a socketed enlargement g, whereinis placed the shank 7c of another section h of the bar C, the other orfree end of this bar it being in the form of a hammer having a groove01' slot On the end k of the said bar is glued a small piece of suede,ehamoisleather or other soft and fine skin, and intersecting the grooveor slot 2' is ahole j, in which is driven a nail or screw for the 'purpose of holding firm in the groove or slot the damper or blender saddleD which will be referred to later on. The sections of the'bar indicated"by B and C, Figs. 4 and 5, should be well fastened with glue, secatineorother similar material when fitting the shank k in the socket g. Thesections referred to can be made of one whole piece of metal, wood orother material; but I consider the procedure above indicated preferable.The damper or blender saddle is preferably made 01' a thin steel plate,flexible in its central portion and thickened at'its extremities; theseends can also be of other metal, soldered to the steel plate that formsthe central portion and the saddle D, taking approximately the form ofthe larger part of the bridge of the instrument towhich it is applied,in order that the said bridge may be sustained when the damper orblender is used. To the inner faces of the ends 1 and 1' of the damper Dis glued a small piece of soft and fine skin. This saddle is fitted inthe groove or slot 1' in the wooden bar mentioned above, and has anorifice on through which the nail is passed, preferably a glued woodennail or screw driven into the hole in the wooden bar. Thev portion ofthe said saddle D which is fitted in the groove or slot j in the woodenbar should also be glued.

\Vhen the damper or blender is employed on violoncello or basso,reference being now had to Figs. 9 to 12 and 14, there should be fittedtwo shaft supports p on the body of this instrument, the supports beingcarried by the plate E. A coupling axle F rests in these supports, towhich axle is attached a curved bar Gr. which carries at its smallforked end two small shafts or fixed rings 9, 9', through which pass twohooks 131" which are held to a small plate S, the latter having at itslower end another ring Z from which is suspended a bar or cord 1 whichis joined to another ring t at the extremity of a foot treadle in theform of bar or long-iron T. This bar acts as a pedal and has at itsother extremity a small cross-plate a. Each of the ends 11, 11' of thecurved bar G has attached thereto the wires 0,, a), which are alsoengaged on the axle F and serve the purpose of braces for strengtheningthe fork of the bar and impeding the loss of its firmness. The end Z ofthe curved bar G bears on lever Q of the damper. The center of the forkof this bar carries a graduated screw U, whose extremity g is againstthe instrument, preventing the curved bar G from failing to press on thebar G of the damper or blender, and the latter from separating too muchfrom the bridge of the in- S strument when no pressure is made with thepedal.

The size of the damper or blender is in relation to the size of thecorresponding parts of the bow musical instruments previously mentioned.P is the floor support.

hen the damper or blender is applied to the violin, the operation of thesame is as follows The violist inclines his head slightly towards theright and with his chin. resses more or less (according to theexpression required for the piece he is playing) on the metal plate 6,which. in turn, by reason of the fact that it is joined to the smallerend is of the section C and the thickened ends Z, l of the saddle Dwhich are normally spaced from the bridge, but near thereto, presses thesaddle 1) against the bridge L and, as a consequence, he modulates oraugments the tones of the instrument that is being played. On ceasingthe pressure with the chin, gradually or suddenly, with the headassuming its original position. the damper or blender is raised underthe action of the curved spring e which is attached to the sleeve of thecoupling. When the damper or blender is employed on violoncellos orbassos, the operation is produced by means of the pedal T which, onbeing pulled by means of a bar or cable y of the smaller part of thecurved bar G, causes the latter to move on its axle F and the largerpart Z to press on the bar Q and this in turn, with the other elementspreviously mentioned, pro duces, through the pressure on the bridge L ofthe instrument, the effects aforementioned.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mute for a stringed musical instrument, comprising a couplingpivoted at the tail of the instrument, an arm connected to the coupling,a damper saddle attached to the other end of the arm and adapted tocontact with the bridge of the instrument, means for resiliently flexingthe arm to keep the saddle normally out of contact with the bridge, andmeans controlled by the player for overcoming the resilient means andfor contacting the saddle with the bridge, the whole attachment beingmovable about the coupling as pivot.

52. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the coupling comprises ahollow sleeve, and the arm comprises a curved spring which is insertedinto the sleeve.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the arm comprises aplurality of interlocking members.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the damper saddle isattached to the arm by means of a slot in the arm into which the sad dieis inserted, and a hole and pin passing through the arm and the saddle.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the saddle comprises atwo-armed member which is thickened at the extremities of the arms.

6. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for contactingthe saddle with the bridge is operable by the foot of the player.

7. A device as set forth in claim 1, comprising means for adjusting theresilience of the flexing means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my si nature. FRANCISCO QUINTANA MIRA DA.

